


The Safety Bang that Wasn't

by lezcheck



Category: Lost Girl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:46:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lezcheck/pseuds/lezcheck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I've always wondered what might have happened if Lauren had leveled with Bo instead of sleeping with her in "Vexed." I think this would make for boring TV, but it was satisfying to write.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Safety Bang that Wasn't

" _She's a_ _ **succubus**_ _. If you want to keep her alive, I'm sure you can think of_ _ **some way**_ _to distract her."_

The Ash's words echoed through Lauren's mind as she stood outside Bo's door. She had been standing there for several seconds longer than was necessary. She shook her head to clear away the Ash's voice and knocked.

After a moment, the door opened. Bo looked surprised, but not unpleasantly.

"Lauren."

She stood aside so Lauren could enter.

"What are you doing here?" Bo asked, then flushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Please, come in."

Lauren walked into the room, giving Bo a small smile that she hoped didn't give away any of her nervousness.

"Would you like some wine?"

It was only early afternoon, but Lauren wasn't exactly here on official business.

"Sure. Thank you."

Bo busied herself retrieving glasses and pouring from a bottle she removed from the cooler.

"I heard your friend Lou Ann dropped her appeal. I thought you might not want to be alone," Lauren said, accepting the wineglass and sitting on the couch.

Bo explained the situation. Lauren kept her face a careful mask of interest and asked questions at the appropriate moments, but as Bo went on, Lauren's attention was increasingly diverted to watching Bo's mouth as it formed the words, rather than giving the conversation her full attention.

Bo's lips begged to be kissed. Her bottom lip was fuller, while her top lip was more delicate. Lauren's doctor brain couldn't help but identify the ridges on Bo's upper lip by their scientific name, philtral columns, as her eyes traced the path the ridges made from under Bo's nose down to the pink plumpness of the superior border of her mouth.

But Lauren also was familiar with the more whimsical name for the shape of the upper lip - the Cupid's Bow. It really did look like a recurve bow, she mused, wondering briefly if the Romans had called it that themselves, or if, as with so many things, the nickname had come after the fact when Shakespeare had coined and popularized so many phrases. She decided the name was appropriate either way - she had a feeling that anyone who kissed Bo even once would be forever changed, much like a person would be after being shot by Cupid's arrow.

The Ash's indirect instructions threaded through her mind again. In truth, ever since he'd said it, Lauren had been filled with a mix of trepidation, desire, and a little fear. Not fear of Bo - the scientist in Lauren knew logically that Bo was increasing in her control, and she'd seen the evidence herself when they had infiltrated the Baron chemical company. And her heart trusted that Bo wouldn't allow any harm to come to her.

No, it was fear of what might happen if Bo found out. If Lauren had learned one thing in her life so far, it was that the truth always came out eventually.

And yet, after five years with the Ash, the habit of obedience was ingrained in her. The Ash was a subtle man - rarely giving a direct order when quiet cajoling or indirect suggestions would do just as well. And Lauren had found, much to her dismay, that she was more eager to please than not these days.

When she thought about it, that was, which she tried not to.

Until Bo came along. Then Lauren had begun to notice just a little bit more that occasionally, she minded. She would have preferred that Bo had been able to come to her openly for medical help, instead of needing to sneak into the compound. She would have liked to have been able to drop by Bo's house for a visit without worrying what the Ash would think if she wasn't immediately available.

It wasn't often that the Ash wanted her to do something that she didn't want to do in the official course of her work for him. And it wasn't that she didn't want to... _be_ with Bo, anyway.

She did.

It almost hurt, how much she wanted to. At times it was difficult to maintain her professional demeanor with Bo in medical situations, and it wasn't just that Bo was a succubus. In fact, Lauren thought that she would probably be just as drawn to Bo if she were a human.

Not that Lauren would have had the chance to meet a human Bo, though. Not in the last five years.

As Bo talked about wanting the choice to have a normal life and a white picket fence, Lauren felt her heart twist a little bit. And when Bo stood up to go, Lauren reached out for her wrist.

"Bo, wait."

She pulled Bo back down to the couch and took a deep breath. She leaned in toward Bo, who seemed taken by surprise at first, but began to sway toward Lauren.

Bo's face registered the tiniest bit of disappointment as Lauren leaned back.

"I can't do this."

The disappointment was replaced by confusion.

"Why not?"

Lauren didn't answer. She put her face in her hands. Sinking back into the couch, she pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes until she began to see stars from the pressure on the vitreous fluid.

"Lauren. What is it?"

Again, Lauren took a deep breath, girding herself for the task ahead. But a completely different task than the one she had set out to accomplish.

"Bo, I...was encouraged to come here."

Lauren raised her hand to forestall Bo's obvious next question. "Please, just let me get this out," she said. "By the Ash. To…" she wanted to say _protect you_ but instead she forced herself to say "...distract you."

Bo just looked at her.

"By any means necessary," Lauren clarified.

Comprehension dawned on Bo's face. Lauren winced internally as Bo withdrew her hands into her lap and pressed her lips together.

"Why did the Ash want you to distract me?" she finally asked.

"He said that if you went after the person who made Lou Ann kill her children, you'd be killed by the Dark Fae, and that he wasn't ready for that to happen until he knew more about you."

"How noble."

Lauren let that pass. "I think there was more behind it, though. I'm not sure what - possibly he didn't want anything to upset the balance between the Light and the Dark. Or there might be more there, things that I'm not privy to. But he knew the way to motivate me was to frame it as the only way that I could keep you alive. To protect you."

Bo's face softened a bit. Then she shook her head.

"So why aren't you seducing me right now?" The words could have been inviting, but instead had a bitter, biting tone.

Lauren bit her lip, and then decided that brutal honesty was still the best policy.

"I wanted to. I still want to. But not under false pretenses," she said. She wanted to close her eyes, feeling exposed, but forced herself to look at Bo.

Bo looked back at her. Warring emotions flitted across her face.

"I'm not sure if I can trust you."

Bo's words were like a knife through Lauren's heart, but she acknowledged that it wasn't an unreasonable way to feel.

"I understand."

"I'm going after the guy," Bo said, as if she was daring Lauren to stop her.

"Okay," said Lauren. "I won't stand in your way."

"You don't have to sound so damned innocent, Lauren," Bo said. "You don't owe me anything. Especially not if you're feeling guilty."

"I'm not feeling guilty, Bo. We're not in bed, are we?"

That didn't seem to make Bo feel any better. "Right. Why aren't we, by the way?"

Lauren looked up, but Bo didn't mean it as a come-on. She looked angry.

And a little hurt.

"I told you - I didn't want to sleep with you under false pretenses."

"That's not what I meant," Bo said. "You and me...we've been getting closer lately, right? Talking? Flirting? That's not all in my head."

"It's not all in your head."

"So why is it that when I made it CRYSTAL clear this morning that I was...interested and ready, you dodged it, but when the Ash snaps his fingers, you come running? Even if you didn't end up closing the deal." Bo stopped, the hurt becoming more evident on her face.

"Bo, look," said Lauren. "My life is...really complicated. And I want to tell you about it. I'm so drawn to you, I can't even really put it into words."

Bo gave her an even look. "Go on."

"But," Lauren blew out a breath and swept her hair out of her face. "I mean, we just met. I've been with the Fae for five years, and you just appear on the scene with no regard for the rules, or politics, or anything, and you're turning everything upside down. And I want to help you. But I'm not...I mean, what do you think I am?"

Bo looked at her. "You're a doctor. Employed by the Ash. Scientist and medical help for the Light Fae."

"Right," said Lauren. "Although it's not all by choice, and I'm not really free to leave."

"Trick said that the Fae 'own' humans in return for protection," Bo made air quotes while speaking, "but I didn't think..."

Lauren cut her off. "It's...really complicated. There are extenuating circumstances. And that is a much longer discussion. I promise to have it with you."

"Why not now?"

"You seem like you're set on going out to find the Fae who made Lou Ann kill her children. And if you really think that's the best course of action, then I won't stand in your way. I'll just tell the Ash that you weren't interested."

Bo gave Lauren a sardonic look. "You can't tell the Ash that. He'll know it's a lie."

Lauren shrugged. "It could be true. Just because you're a succubus, that doesn't mean that you want to sleep with every single person you run across."

"The Ash isn't stupid. Anyone who's seen us together can see that I want to sleep with you."

Lauren flushed, half in embarrassment and half with a sudden rush of arousal.

"Fair enough. But it doesn't matter now. If you want to go, then go. I'll think of something else to tell him."

Bo hesitated. "How about you tell me first why you don't think going after this person is the best course of action."

Lauren bit her lip. Bo had said she wasn't sure if she could trust her. Lauren, on the other hand, knew deep down that she could trust Bo. But she still felt trepidation about telling Bo everything. Bo was so new in the Fae world, and so averse to trying to fit into the existing system. Lauren wasn't sure that Bo wouldn't still go off half-cocked or let something slip in a heated argument.

But as she looked into Bo's eyes, still guarded but also a little softer than before, she figured that trust in this case also meant taking a leap of faith.

"The Ash told me that he was going to negotiate with the Morrigan to send away the Fae who made Lou Ann kill her children."

"Send away? Like, banish?"

"I'm not sure," Lauren said. "His name is Vex, and apparently he's a favorite of the Dark Fae. I'm not sure if it's a punishment for him, or just about getting him out of harm's way. At the very least, he'll be leaving what is probably an established and comfortable situation here."

Bo considered this. "It's not enough."

"I know."

"And it's not right."

"I know. And I agree. But Bo, I've been living in this world for five years, and I can tell you for sure that if both the Dark and the Light are against you doing this, then you don't stand a chance."

"I'm not afraid."

"I know you're not," Lauren said. "And I love...that about you," she said, stumbling only slightly over the words.

"I can't just do nothing," Bo said, frustrated.

"I'm not saying do nothing. I'm just saying, tensions are high right now. If you let things die down a bit, take some time, make a plan - well, you might eventually be able to do something that the Light and the Dark can't trace back to you."

Bo gave her a wry grin. "The long game isn't really my style."

"I know it's not," Lauren said. She didn't return Bo's grin. "But if something happened to you, and I could have done something to prevent it, then I would never forgive myself." The seriousness of her statement was underscored by her gaze.

Bo returned Lauren's look and didn't reply. The longer the silence went on, the more electric the air between them felt.

Lauren felt the same tension, and with only a slight bit of _deja vu_ , she leaned toward Bo on the couch. But this time she didn't stop, and Bo closed her eyes as Lauren gently brushed her lips over Bo's.

It was a brief and almost chaste kiss, but ripe with the promise of more to come. Lauren slowly exhaled as she broke the contact.

"I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I met you," Lauren said, a little shaky and out of breath.

Bo smiled. "To be fair, I used my succubus powers on you."

"Before then," Lauren said. "When you were sitting there in front of the Ash and the Morrigan, with Dyson snarling in your face and the Dark Fae goons looking like they wanted to be next. You were so brave, even though you were outnumbered. I think I…"

"What?"

"Nevermind," Lauren said. "We can save that for another time."

"For that other conversation you said we'd have."

"Right," Lauren said. "That one might be best to have later."

"How come?"

"Because I think if I don't kiss you again, right now, I might…"

Bo didn't hear what Lauren thought might happen to her, because before the words were out of her mouth, Bo had closed the gap on the couch and covered Lauren's mouth with her own, resuming their kiss from before with increased intensity.

Bo moved her lips from Lauren's mouth to her jaw, tracing feather-light kisses up to Lauren's ear, and murmured.

"You might be able to report a successful mission to the Ash after all, doctor."


End file.
